Internships

FSFE is a charity dedicated to empowering users to control
technology. We are working to build freedom in digital society.
We operate in a lively environment of numerous volunteers from many countries
and several full-time employees.

At FSFE my time was always shared between learning and doing. When dealing with a task,
I was encouraged to research background information and to understand the political questions
underlying each issue. Curiosity is what an intern needs most.
Lucile Falgueyrac, Intern 2013-2014

Working at the Free Software Foundation Europe lets you get close to
an amazing variety of topics and tasks. This diversity brings a lot of
technical, organisational, social and political experience and skills,
which are great to have for any Free Software enthusiast.
Nicolas Jean, Intern 2010-2011, Webmaster

FSFE is looking for smart, motivated interns to join our team. We offer

A truly challenging and exciting time with a dynamic NGO working internationally

A close-up view of organisational and community processes

A chance to take the initiative and put your ideas into practice

The opportunity to meet and work with Free Software advocates across Europe

What you'll do:

Communicate with contacts from the FSFE community, NGO, industry, and public administrations.

Coordinate volunteers and others in the work on various projects.

General office tasks.

Find your own strengths, and do something you care about.

Other tasks outlined in the job description when an opening is announced (see below).

FSFE is a stimulating environment to work in. There are few
organisations where you can learn from so many perspectives in this
international and interdisciplinary context. If you read my blog, you can have a good overview
of some things I've been working on. Hugo Roy, Intern 2009-2010, Fellowship representative 2011

Basic internship facts:

When an internship opening is announced (primarily in our
newsletter), you will find more
details about each specific internship there. Sometimes we offer
longer internships, and other times we seek applicants with
a specific focus (for instance students for summer internships).

Duration: 3 months, full-time.

Location: Berlin, Germany.

Compensation: Interns receive a basic compensation, the
amount of which is announced when an opening is announced.

Requirement: The internship is open to EU citizens, and
anyone else holding a residence permit and a work permit for Germany.

Who we're looking for:

FSFE interns are a pretty diverse bunch. If you are interested in
working on the frontline of technology policy and activism, then
you've come to the right place. You're fired up about a free
information society, and you've already done something to tell others
why freedom matters? Then this internship is for you. Your academic
background and qualifications matter less than your experience, your
will to learn, and your ability to get things done. We expect:

Fluent English (written and spoken) is a requirement;
a working knowledge of other languages is an asset.

Basic acquaintance with working on GNU/Linux systems (desirable)

Ability to be creative, responsible, and to multitask.

Ability to integrate into a young, motivated and professional team

No programming skills required. Programming is one of the
few things you probably won't be doing during your
internship, unless you're applying for a technical
internship.

We want more women to be involved in Free Software. That's
why when there are candidates with equal qualification, we will give
preference to applications from suitably qualified female candidates.

Having no hacking experience but a strong political background,
working for the FSFE was an amazing experience for me and the same
will be true for everybody interested in software and users freedom.
International collaboration, writing policy papers, contact
stakeholders and taking care of community activities are just examples
of interesting tasks to learn from and that are quite fun in FSFE`s
friendly team.
Erik Albers, Intern 2012

How to apply:

When there's an open position for an internship, this will
be announced in our newsletter
including information about the application deadline.